''Liberty'' was a sloop owned by

John Hancock John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot (American Revolution), Patriot of the American Revolution. He was the longest-serving Presi ...

, an American merchant, whose seizure was the subject of the Liberty Affair. Seized by customs officials in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

in 1768, it was commissioned into the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

as HMS ''Liberty'', and she was burned the next year by American colonists in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...

, in one of the first acts of open defiance against the

British crown The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...

by American colonists.

History

The ship was originally owned by John Hancock. In 1768, British officials were informed that Bostonians locked a

customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...

official in the ''Liberty''s cabin while the cargo of Madeira wine was unloaded in an effort to evade the

Townshend Acts The Townshend Acts () or Townshend Duties were a series of British acts of Parliament enacted in 1766 and 1767 introducing a series of taxes and regulations to enable administration of the British colonies in America. They are named after Char ...

. In response, the British authorities confiscated ''Liberty'', and she was towed away by HMS ''Halifax''. Charges against Hancock were eventually dropped, but ''Liberty'' remained confiscated. The ship was refitted in Rhode Island to serve as a Royal Navy ship named HMS ''Liberty'' and then used to patrol off

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

for customs violations. On 19 July 1769, the crew of ''Liberty'' under Captain William Reid accosted Joseph Packwood, a New London captain, and seized and towed two

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

ships into Newport. In retribution, Packwood and a mob of Rhode Islanders confronted Reid, then boarded, scuttled, and later burned the ship on the north end of Goat Island in Newport harbor as one of the first overt American acts of defiance against the British Crown.Sherman, An Accounting of His Majesty's Armed Sloop ''Liberty''

References

Shipwrecks of the Rhode Island coast Newport County, Rhode Island Maritime incidents in 1769 Individual sailing vessels Scuttled vessels John Hancock {{UK-mil-ship-stub

History

See also

References